Why Google Didn’t Kill The Headphone Jack On The Pixel 3a

Recently, Google announced their latest Pixel smartphone in the form of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. These are mid-ranged Pixel smartphones that come with affordable prices, but if there is one notable difference between these phones and the Pixel 3 is that it actually comes with a headphone jack.

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With more handset makers starting to ditch the port, it’s actually quite nice and interesting to see that Google has not given up on its entirely. As to why the company opted to include it when it’s probably really easy for them to not bother, an interview with Google’s Product Manager Soniya Jobanputra revealed the reason why.

According to Jobanputra, she claims that with the amount of money that customers are spending on their smartphones, they are demanding flexibility in terms of how they use it, which in this case comes in the form of choosing whether to use wired or wireless headphones. This makes sense, although as XDA points out, Google could have easily included a dongle if they really wanted to.

In any case, we suppose $399 for a decently-specced handset that will let you use your favorite wired headphones isn’t too bad of a deal. Google is currently running a trade-in promotion for the Pixel 3a and 3a XL for those who might be interested in getting their hands on the handset.